Tech group Schneider Electric has entered into a partnership with Swiss start-up GR3N. The Chiasso-based company has developed an environmentally friendly process for the chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is pursuing an open, software-defined approach for the automation of its modular systems. This is being implemented with the help of EcoStruxure Automation Expert, a software platform offered by Schneider Electric for hardware-independent automation in accordance with IEC61499. Following the successful commissioning of a demonstration plant in March 2024, the opening of the first industrial-scale plant is planned for 2027 in Spain. Based on the microwave process designed by GR3N, it should be possible to recycle up to 40,000 tons of PET waste per year.
Advanced plastics recycling with a novel automation approach
The technical basis for the plastic recycling process developed by GR3N is a microwave technology-based depolymerization of polyester from packaging or textiles (MADE: Microwave Assisted DEpolymerization). Using alkaline hydrolysis and without the use of fossil fuels, the PET is broken down into its basic building blocks, which can then be recombined to produce high-quality PET pellets. As significantly more impurities can be eliminated in this process than in conventional methods, the raw material intended for reuse is practically of virgin material quality.
In addition to its innovative recycling process, the system designed by GR3N is also special because it is the first of its kind to be based entirely on an open automation approach in accordance with IEC61499. Two aspects are decisive for the technical implementation. Firstly, the Runtime Execution Engine from the independent non-profit organization UniversalAutomation.Org (UAO) is used. Following a basic principle from consumer IT, this acts as a kind of manufacturer-independent operating system in the hardware components, thus enabling a decoupling of hardware and software that is actually atypical for the world of automation. On the other hand, GR3N relies on the EcoStruxure Automation Expert software platform from Schneider Electric, which is based on the UAO automation principle. With this platform, the engineering freedoms resulting from the decoupling of hardware and software – such as the reuse of software objects or the decentralized distribution of program code, which is very valuable for modular systems – can be used in the best possible way.
For us as a start-up, software-defined and hardware-independent automation means that we can develop much faster and more flexibly with less risk,” explains Fabio Silvestri, Head of Marketing and Business Development at GR3N. “For example, whenever there were new approaches to make our system even more efficient, we were able to reconfigure our systems very quickly. And thanks to hardware independence, we weren’t slowed down by supply chain issues. So this is exactly the kind of innovation that is needed to efficiently set up competitive systems in such complex industries as plastics recycling.”
A sustainable partnership
For tech group Schneider Electric, the hardware-independent automation approach is a very important building block in enabling industrial customers to achieve what has defined the company’s brand essence for many years: Sustainably more successful business.
“Humanity produces around 460 million tons of plastic every year, of which around 70 percent ends up in landfills or is otherwise disposed of incorrectly,” says Christophe de Maistre, President Energy & Chemicals, Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, explaining the relevance of the partnership with GR3N. “If we really want to tackle this problem consistently, then we also need to create the right conditions for it. On the technical side, this includes solutions for the integration of the entire product life cycle, modularization and standardization as well as open, software-defined automation that facilitates scalability, overcomes silos and enables the use of advanced analysis tools. The project with GR3N is an impressive example of how such an approach can significantly improve flexibility, efficiency and scalability.”
Source: Schneider Electric
